Broken Thoughts
by Catrina Winner
Summary: [Him/Hay] Himeno wonders if Hayate loves her as she believed he did so long ago. Is there any way she can get him to admit his love for her? Complete.
1. Bitter Thoughts

1 Broken Thoughts  
  
1.1 Written by: Catrina Winner  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretear, though I really, really wish that I did!  
  
A few author's notes: I just purchased the entire Pretear series, and I was so in love with it I was almost sad because it ended so quickly. I went online to look for shrines or galleries, or even fansites, but I only found one that was in English and readable, and that one was taken down for renovation… And has been for who knows how long. It made me sad, so I looked everywhere for fanfiction, and found next to none. The only fanfiction I found was on fanfiction.net, so I read it all, and got hooked. Within the hour, I had written out the entire plot for this story, and all I need to do now is get it from my rather bare plot structure to an awesome story! My muse is working over time, and I'm going to try and finish this story as quickly as I possibly can. Please R&R! I really need the feedback!! ^ ^ On with the story!  
  
Oh yeah, by the way, this story has A LOT of spoilers for the series, so don't read it unless you want the end of the story to be ruined for you. It's also a Hayate/Himeno story, for all of you that want to know ahead of time… ^ ^;;  
  
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1.1.1 Chapter One: Bitter Thoughts  
  
Himeno replaced her watering can on the table and looked at the beautiful red flowers that graced her window seat, she smiled, and then turned to Mawata, who was waiting at leaning on her door comfortably.  
  
"Mawata-chan, how are you?"  
  
"I'm fine… You've seemed a little sluggish in these past mornings, so I can in to see how you were doing," she nodded at the flowers. "But I suppose I understand now. You like to talk with the flowers, don't you?"  
  
"Yes… My mother and I planted them together a long time ago… Now she's all I have left of her, and I like to imagine they listen when I discuss my problems. It makes things easier that way."  
  
Mawata smiled. "Well, it's no wonder you're always so upbeat!"  
  
Himeno laughed, then paused for a moment, looking at her stepsister. "I don't know, that must be part of it. I still can't believe how long it's been from the time I first became Snow Pretear and we fought against Takako. So many things have changed since then. Just look around! Takako has married Sasame and they live in that cute little apartment down by the radio station. You've discovered you have quite the talent for painting, Daddy is hard at work on another one of his novels, and Natsue has taken the art world by storm with her interesting sculptures" Himeno smiled and looked out her window. "Well, Mayune hasn't changed much," she giggled as she watched the pink-haired girl tiptoeing around the side of the house with a large bucket of oil, and Mr. Tanaka trailing behind her, yelling frantically. Her eyes trailed across the expanse of the enormous property she lived in. She turned back and leaned against the windowsill. Mawata looked at her with her questioning eyes.  
  
"Kei is programming software, Go is still working at that strange restaurant, and Mannen, Shin, and Hajime are with Go… And Hayate remains here," she said quietly.  
  
Mawata looked up at the last comment. "Is it strange to you that Hayate stayed with our family after the battle was completed? Everyone else remained in their normal jobs, so why can't he?"  
  
Himeno looked confused. "I… It isn't strange, I suppose." She turned back to the window and saw her father and Hayate carting sculptures across the lawn. Laughing, she watched her Dad running through the field and towards the stairs, two giant sculptures under his arms.  
  
Leaning out the window she called out to her father and Hayate, waving at them. "Hello!" Kaoru stopped running and put on of the sculptures down long enough to wave back before continuing up to the storage house. Hayate, however, stared at her for a moment before turning his face away from her view and rushing up the stairs, so quickly he almost knocked Kaoru down.  
  
Himeno sighed and looked over at Mawata. "I just can't understand this. Why does Hayate ignore me? You know… All that time ago, I thought he loved me… But, even if he does, he certainly doesn't show it," she hung her head. When Himeno turned, Mawata was gone. Shrugging, she walked to the door and rushed down the stairs, heading out for breakfast.  
  
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Breakfast was uneventful, for once, and afterward, Himeno headed outside to find something to entertain herself with. She got about five steps from the door before there was a shrill scream behind her. Whipping around, Himeno discovered an oil-drenched Mayune swinging high above her head in a net. Pretending she had seen nothing, Himeno continued away, trying to escape Mr. Tanaka's shouts of surprise.  
  
Himeno soon discovered herself wandering through the large town of Awayuki. Several people stopped to point and whisper about her, but Himeno took no notice. She could see Mawata on the corner of the street, reading a newly bought book. She rushed over to her and poked her shoulder.  
  
"Mawata-chan!!" Himeno exclaimed. Mawata looked up and smiled.  
  
"Himeno! What are you doing out here?" she replied.  
  
"Uh… Nothing. Just wandering around, trying to enjoy myself before I have to go back and face Mayune's wrath. She's probably still covered in oil, hanging in a net, unless Mr. Tanaka managed to get her down." Mawata giggled.  
  
"It's nice to see you can smile. You certainly left in a hurry this morning." Himeno said, smiling herself.  
  
"Sorry… I just thought that you might need a little time on your own. Why don't we walk along the ocean, Himeno? It's getting quite hot in this stuffy little town."  
  
Himeno nodded, and the two of them got up and started away towards the ocean. "It's nice to smile again. Even though it's been awhile since everything happened, I can still remember it all like yesterday, just like you said," Mawata said.  
  
Himeno looked over, surprised that she would openly talk about the past. She had never mentioned it before, but was quite willing to discuss it when prompted.  
  
"I feel sorry that I caused so much pain for you and the rest of our family. I was just… so alone. But, now, I have all of you here for me. And you all want to understand me. I should have seen how much you guys cared for me before."  
  
"I don't think anyone would have been able to, Mawata-chan. Without you, we couldn't have been able to help Takako see the truth in her own heart," Himeno smiled over at Mawata.  
  
"Yes… I'm so happy I found my art… I miss having someone like Sasame to admire, but I know that there will be others, and, besides, Sasame belongs with Takako. It's obvious to me now, though before it didn't seem that way."  
  
"Mawata-chan… I'm proud of you," she said.  
  
Mawata gave her a sidelong glance. "Really?"  
  
"Of course! You've come a long way from the sad girl I met when I first moved in," Himeno said.  
  
"Well… Himeno, who do you admire?" she asked suddenly.  
  
Himeno blushed and laughed. "The Leafe Knights… You know, Kei, Go… Even Mannen and the rest of the boys…" she laughed, putting a hand behind her head.  
  
Mawata smiled and shook her head. "You know that's not what I meant," she said quietly.  
  
"Huh?" Himeno looked over, rather surprised.  
  
Again Mawata shook her head and smiled softly. "Himeno… Don't you realize who I'm talking about? Don't you realize who you love? Or are you as confused as I was at one time?"  
  
"What? I-I'm not confused! I know who I love! My whole family… and… all my friends… and the Knights…" she trailed off.  
  
They both sat on the cool pavement and Mawata looked towards Himeno, her eyes glittering. "Then who is it that you love?"  
  
Himeno open her mouth to speak, but could think of nothing to say. Mawata put a hand on her shoulder and Himeno looked down. "H-Hayate," she whispered quietly.  
  
"I thought so… You wouldn't believe how red you are! Almost more colorful than your hair!" Mawata teased.  
  
"Mawata-chan!! I'm NOT blushing!!!" Himeno slapped her hands to her cheeks and yelped. Mawata laughed happily, before her face took a more serious hue.  
  
"Well, Himeno, why don't you tell Hayate that you love him?"  
  
Himeno looked over towards Mawata, meeting her eyes. "B-Because… I don't know… I mean, he never… I-I…"  
  
She nodded. "You don't know if he would accept your love. You're scared he doesn't love you back," she said, plainly.  
  
"Yeah… I suppose I am…" Himeno turned to look at the sky, lying backwards. Mawata watched her, her gentle eyes shining.  
  
"Himeno… If you love him, maybe you should tell him. Maybe it's important. Not today, but perhaps tomorrow. And if you can't tomorrow, you can always do it the next day. You just… You should. If you don't tell him how much you love him, you might lose him." Her eyes became shadowed, "Tell him, Himeno."  
  
"Mawata-chan…" 'She acts as if she still loves Sasame… But how can you blame her? Sasame is not the type someone can get over easily.'  
  
"Yes, Himeno, I still love him… But it's different now. Now I look at him as… as a brother. His kindness helped save me and I'm very thankful for it… But when you look back at it, he kind of got me mixed up in the whole mess in the first place, didn't he?" She laughed, and it sounded like crystal bells. "I won't forget him, but I don't think he'll forget me either." She shrugged. "It's hard to explain, but we love each other like family now, and nothing more than that." Himeno nodded.  
  
"I think that I understand."  
  
Mawata smiled. "I thought you would, somehow."  
  
"I love Hayate…" Himeno said suddenly. "But I don't know what he thinks of me. There was a time I was convinced that Hayate loved me, but now, I… just don't know anymore." Himeno eyes spilled over at the thought. Mawata hugged her.  
  
"Maybe he does love you, Himeno. He just can't see it. Someday he'll realize he loves you as much, or more, then you love him. That's what I believe."  
  
"Really?" Himeno looked up, her eyes shining with tears.  
  
"Yes." Mawata hugged her again and Himeno smiled against her shoulder.  
  
"I always believed you before, so I'll believe you now."  
  
Mawata laughed, and the two of them stood up, and headed back towards the house for their supper. Behind them, the sunset, casting brilliant shades of red across the land. A young, white-haired man watched them go.  
  
Sasame shook his head as his earpiece stopped glowing and spun around, causing his cape to swirl out behind him. "Hayate… You fool."  
  
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Phew. There's your first chapter! I hope you all like it. It should get more interesting as it goes on… But I had to use this one to explain what had happened to all the Knights as of now and where everyone was and such. ^ ^ Please review! The more feedback I get, the sooner I'll have the next chapter up! What will happen between Hayate and Himeno? Is Mawata right, and does Hayate love Himeno? And what will happen when they realize Sasame was listening in?! 


	2. Himeno's Decision

1 Broken Thoughts  
  
1.1 Written by: Catrina Winner  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretear, though maybe, if I'm really good, my great fairy muse will give it to me! Um… Anyway… ^o^;;  
  
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1.1.1 Chapter Two: Himeno's Decision  
  
  
  
Himeno and Mawata entered the dining room together. The rest of the family looked up and smiled, patiently waiting for them to sit. The dinner began uneventfully, the first time Himeno could remember such a thing happening. She glanced around the table, wondering if it wasn't a part of a greater scheme Mayune was planning, as she never let an entire day go by without some sort of disturbance. Then Himeno recalled the oil incident this morning and decided Mayune probably was trying to think up something grander for revenge than the simple broken chair or spiced food. She made a mental note to be extra careful around the house for the next few days.  
  
Himeno watched her father and Natsue feeding each other. They were cute, but could become utterly sickening when she had to put up with their antics ever few hours. She averted her eyes from the giggling couple.  
  
She smiled and dug into her food. Halfway done with her meal, she leaned back boredly and the back of her chair splintered and she fell backward, sprawling on the floor. Kaoru stared in confusion, but Mayune leaped from her chair and started laughing maniacally.  
  
"May… Mayune!" Himeno leapt from her place on the ground and glared at her stepsister. Soon, the entire family was laughing as Himeno muttered curses under her breath. A serving maid brought her another chair, and the dinner was quickly concluded with no further incidents.  
  
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As Himeno left the comfort of the dining room, her mind wandered back to the conversation with Mawata. She said Hayate doesn't realize he loves me… Could she be right? Or maybe… Himeno wandered through the halls of the house, not caring where she ended up, totally immersed in her own thoughts.  
  
Over an hour later, she was still walking up and down stairs, slowly trying to puzzle through the way Hayate acted towards her. So deep within her own mind, she bumped into someone warm. Looking up, Himeno got quite a shock when she discovered herself staring into Hayate's shining blue eyes.  
  
"H… Hayate! What are you…?" Himeno stuttered.  
  
"I could ask you the same question, Tulip-Head. You shouldn't be wandering around the house," he replied in a bored tone.  
  
"I was… thinking. And don't call me Tulip-Head!!" she stated indignantly.  
  
Hayate watched her for a moment before walking around her. "You can think in the morning. Go to sleep, Tulip-Head," Hayate winced slightly, but unnoticeably, as his last comment came out a bit harder then intended. He could hear Himeno's upset gasp behind him, swiftly replaced by sniffling.  
  
"FINE!" Hayate turned, startled at the sudden outburst, but could only see Himeno's back as she raced down the hall, away from him, and towards her room. He could hear her broken sobbing as she vanished around a corner, and his stomach clenched. He started towards her, but hesitated, deciding she wouldn't want to speak with him after his barbing comments.  
  
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Hayate was not the only one who heard Himeno's sad cries. Mawata was closing her journal when she heard loud footsteps racing past her door, and Himeno's own bedroom door slamming.  
  
Mawata was shocked when she could hear Himeno's wrenching sobs through the walls. She stood and rushed to Himeno's door, knocking on it loudly. The crying was quickly reduced to sniffles and a shaky voice answered her insistent rapping.  
  
"Who… Who's there?" Himeno's mind was racing, praying it was Hayate knocking there, come to apologize for his behavior.  
  
"Himeno, it's me, Mawata. Can I come in?"  
  
Her heart sank. "Mawata-chan… Of course," she replied.  
  
Mawata entered and walked over to Himeno, who had slumped across she bed, hugging a pillow. "I heard you run by my door Himeno, I was worried when I thought I might have heard you crying. What happened? Is everything alright?" Himeno looked at the obvious concern in Mawata's eyes.  
  
"Nothing… I mean, I was just wandering around, thinking about… stuff…" Mawata nodded. "When I accidentally bumped into Hayate…" she trailed off for a moment, frowning. "Maybe I overreacted a bit, but…" Himeno quietly related her entire encounter with Hayate. It didn't take her long, since they had not exchanged more than a few words. Mawata listened carefully, and didn't interrupt her, nodding occasionally. Himeno finished and looked over at Mawata.  
  
"I don't think you've ever cried like that before, Himeno," Mawata said after a few long moments of silence.  
  
"I did once, when my mother died and I thought she had disappeared from my life…" she glanced at her flowers, "but, I realized she hasn't entirely, so…"  
  
Mawata nodded. "I know how you feel."  
  
Himeno looked over at her. "I'm scared I may have overreacted… But, I was hoping Hayate was the one knocking… I'm happy you came to talk, though," she gave her a shaky smile.  
  
Mawata hugged Himeno and returned the smile. "Well, it did cost the both of us quite a bit of sleep," she said, pointing towards the clock. It read 1:38.  
  
Himeno groaned. "Oh no… We have to get up in another few hours."  
  
"Don't worry about it!" Mawata said cheerfully. "I'm sure Hayate will come to his senses sooner or later… Hopefully sooner, of course."  
  
"Mawata-chan… I'm sure he will. Or, at least, I HOPE he will."  
  
Mawata laughed, and finally turned. "Goodnight, Himeno. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Himeno watched her go. "Mawata-chan…"  
  
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Mawata went back to her room very slowly, thinking. She realized Himeno wasn't going to give up on Hayate, no matter what happened.  
  
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Himeno stared out the window, her eyes glazed over. She was so sick of being mistreated by Hayate, but had no way out of it. She knew she loved Hayate, would even openly admit it, and couldn't let go the hope that he loved her too.  
  
She yawned and looked back at the clock. It glowed a sullen 2:03 in the morning. Himeno walked over and sat on her bed. She opened a drawer and shuffled through it, pulling out the Lunar Ball. With the ease of many hours of practice, she twitched her wrist and landed the ball on one of its ends.  
  
"How come I can only make this stupid thing work when I'm depressed?" she mumbled. Flopping back across her bed, she stared at the ceiling. "Hayate…" Himeno whispered. Moments later, she was fast asleep, the Lunar Ball clutched tightly in her hand.  
  
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^ ^ Yay! The second chapter is up! Aren't you all so happy? Sorry this one was so short, but I did a lot of editing on it. Hope you all don't mind. Please review!! 


	3. Sudden Revelations

1 Broken Thoughts  
  
1.1 Written by: Catrina Winner  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretear… *sniff*  
  
A few authors' notes: ^ ^ I love writing this! Hopefully things will start to pick up a bit in this chapter. Aren't you all so curious about what's going to happen? I was for a little while… ^ ^;; But don't worry, I think the entire plot is falling together! ^ ^ I love it when a fanfiction comes together!  
  
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1.1.1 Chapter Three: Sudden Revelations  
  
The morning came all too soon for Himeno. She woke up to birdsong and sunlight streaming through her window. For a moment, she considered staying in bed, at least for a little while, but a gentle knocking on her door cut off her thoughts. She quickly jumped out of bed and smoothed the covers back, hoping it didn't look as if she had just awoken.  
  
"Come in!" she called in a cheerful voice. The door opened slowly and a timid servant entered.  
  
"Good morning, Himeno! Breakfast is ready for you downstairs, " she said.  
  
"Um… Sure. Be right down," Himeno said slowly.  
  
The maid smiled at her. "Thank you." She left the room.  
  
Himeno dressed quickly, mulling over Hayate and everything that had to do with him. She shrugged out of her reverie and rushed down to eat her breakfast.  
  
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Breakfast had passed with a rather interesting Mayune plot. She had tried to freeze Himeno's food, and it had worked quite effectively. Except for the fact that the kind maid had "accidentally" switched her food with Himeno's, causing Mayune a surprise she wasn't soon to forget. Mawata did not join them immediately, but appeared soon after Mayune's unpleasant discovery of where the maid's alliances lay.  
  
Himeno left the house shortly after she finished eating. The day was still quite young, and she was bored out of her mind. To ward it off, she began to jog around the house, hoping for a few hours of peaceful exercise.  
  
On her third lap of the sprawling mansion, the wind began to pick up, and Himeno welcomed the cool breeze. She rounded another corner and crashed abruptly into none other then Hayate. He scowled until he realized it was Himeno.  
  
"Himeno!" he said, a bit uncertain as of what to do.  
  
She had the same mixed feelings, but instead of saying anything she stood up and smiled.  
  
"Himeno…" Hayate began, but she smiled again.  
  
"Sorry about that Hayate! Hope I didn't hurt you."  
  
"You should be more careful," he snapped. Himeno looked slightly taken aback but nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Hayate," she replied quietly. Hayate looked down at her and mumbled something. "What was that?"  
  
"I said, 'I couldn't expect Tulip-Head to do anything less,'" he said before he could stop himself. Himeno looked shocked, but nodded, not even protesting the use of her hated nickname. Hayate spun around and almost ran from her. Himeno turned and walked slowly to the nearest place she could find to sit. It ended up being the garden where she had met the Leafe Knights and fought her first battle.  
  
She sat down on the cold stone bench and put her face in her hands. She willed herself not to cry, deciding instead to simply think of meeting the Knights, and how close they had grown in the short time they had know each other. It calmed her some, but she still didn't lift her head out of her hands, almost fearing another encounter with Hayate. Her fears were amazingly well based, as, a few feet away; Hayate leaned against a tree watching her, agony in his eyes. He finally stood and swept away out of sight.  
  
"Hello."  
  
The voice was totally unexpected and Himeno yelped, falling backwards onto the ground. Kei looked down at her. She immediately leapt back up and smiled.  
  
"Kei! You frightened me!" She laughed nervously.  
  
"I simply broke your train of thought," he answered. "It looked a bit too involved for me to let it go on."  
  
"Uh…" Himeno faltered. "What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"I came to see Hayate. He's called my apartment, twice, without leaving any messages. Such an annoyance."  
  
Himeno nodded.  
  
"And then I just happened to notice you and decided to see how you were faring."  
  
"Fine, I suppose," she gave him a slow, faltering smile.  
  
"Yes, that's what I believed. You have always been a horrible liar. Too bad Hayate always misses as much," Kei said and began walking away. Himeno looked after him, surprise creeping across her features.  
  
"Kei! Wait!!" The Knight of Light paused. "What… What did you mean with the Hayate thing?" she asked him.  
  
Kei shrugged. "Well, it's quite obvious to all of us that you love him. Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement. It's obvious to all of the Knights save one," he shook his head. "I am late for the meeting with Hayate," he said and started off again.  
  
"Wait! You haven't… told him, have you?" Himeno asked his back.  
  
"Of course I haven't," Kei finished and walked away for a final time. Himeno sighed. She shook her head and looked up at the sun before leaving her resting spot to continue her jogging.  
  
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In her typical fashion, Himeno soon grew bored with the monotony of running and slowed. She wandered through the gardens mumbling to herself.  
  
"Maybe if… No, no… That won't work… What if I asked…? Nope, no…" she finally gave an exasperated sigh and halted. She turned and looked high into the sky, talking to herself.  
  
"Why in the world is this so hard? It shouldn't be that… difficult to be honest. I have to tell him. I should. He only deserves to know!" Tossing her hands in the air, she left, hunting for something to keep her mind off the current situations.  
  
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Not too far from Himeno's ranting, Kei was seated calmly on a bench across from a nervous Hayate.  
  
"Well, Hayate? I have come here, pulling myself away from a rather busy schedule to see what you want of my that could cause you to touch a phone," Kei stated rather dryly. "The sooner this is over with, the sooner I can get home."  
  
"Uh… actually… You see…" Hayate stumbled. Kei raised an eyebrow. Hayate was not the person to stutter. "Hey, since you're so busy… Why don't you just head back and I'll call you… later…" he said swiftly. Kei looked at him oddly.  
  
"I came all the way from town to hear whatever was so important for you to talk to me about, and yet, you decide to turn me away. There must be something wrong then. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised. There's always something wrong with you," he finished.  
  
"Wr-Wrong with me?!" Hayate snapped. He snarled, and stepped closer to Kei. "I was just going to ask for your advice, but-"  
  
"My advice on what?" Kei asked in a bored tone.  
  
"Himeno!" Hayate blurted, without thinking. Kei instantly looked far more interested then he had before.  
  
"Himeno?" he questioned.  
  
Hayate swallowed and shook his head, looking almost worried. "Uh… Well, actually… I was wondering if… you would tell me… If…" he halted.  
  
"What?" Kei asked, becoming more then a little impatient.  
  
"WillyoufindoutifHimenolikesme?" he mumbled. Kei twitched.  
  
"What?!" he snapped.  
  
"Could you… uh… ask Himeno if she…" Kei rolled his eyes. "If she… if she…"  
  
"If she, WHAT?" he almost shouted. (As close as Kei can get, anyway.)  
  
"Likes… me," Hayate stammered. Kei started laughing. "What?" Hayate asked, angered at the joke of his own expense.  
  
"It took you," he checked his watch, "ten minutes to ask me about THAT?" Kei asked, trying to stop his laughter. Finally, he straightened up and cleared his throat, looking as normal as he could. "Why would you want me to ask Himeno anything about her regards towards you? Unless, of course, you have something you have tried to hide. Though I MUST admit you failed miserably."  
  
Hayate blinked.  
  
"I do believe it is, in all righteousness, your own duty to ask her about the quality of your friendship."  
  
"No, Kei…I meant, uh…" he stopped for a moment. "Not friendship… but…" he halted, unable to phrase it.  
  
Kei shook his head. "All right, all right."  
  
"You mean you'll help me?" Hayate asked, his eyes sparkling.  
  
"No, I was just stating that I understood your meaning." Hayate's face fell. "Perhaps, before go begging to anyone else, you tell me your stance on the relationship you have with Himeno."  
  
Hayate blinked. "I… I love her."  
  
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Well, there ya go!! Third chapter!! Isn't it beautiful? *sniff* PLEASE review!! I would much appreciate it. Very much. The fourth chapter is coming. Slowly. Ahem. So, what will happen now? Himeno admits her love for Hayate, and he admits his love for Himeno. Somehow, both Kei (and Sasame) are stuck in the middle of it all. ^ ^;; 


	4. Hugs!

1 Broken Thoughts  
  
1.1 Written by: Catrina Winner  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I STILL don't own Pretear. Strange, isn't it? ^ ^;;  
  
A few authors' notes: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. School is a horrible burden though, isn't it? I've simply been getting one huge project after another, and if it's not that, it's a math test!! Not cool! *shakes her head* But, enough with my complaining! Here's the fourth chapter!!!! ^ ^ Hope you like it. Please review!  
  
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1.1.1 Chapter Four: Hugs!!  
  
1.1.2  
  
1.1.3 Himeno was wandering through the halls of her house, bored. Kei had already left (she had seem him exiting from her window) and everyone else was working on this or that.  
  
Lunch had been completed a bit before, and noon was just passing. Only noon. Only noon.  
  
With the bright summer day ahead of her, full of possibilities, Himeno left the estate in search of a cooling ocean breeze or an exciting thrill in the bustling town.  
  
Her timing was a bit off, however, for as soon as she stepped through the gat, an exhausted Hayate raced by, shouting her name. He was, of course, searching for her. And would continue to do so late into the night when he would finally realize she was nowhere to be found on the grounds. Still. When the clock struck nine and the dinner had long been concluded, even her family was worried about her. They believed she would be alright, though, (as she was Princess Snow Pretear), and, so, went to bed with no further misgivings.  
  
Hayate was not so easily consoled. After talking with Kei that early morning, he had reached an understanding with himself and was ready to do SOMETHING about it all. Though he was not quite sure WHAT as of yet. The key part of his plan, he was sure, was Himeno herself, obviously. And, without her, the entire thing simply fell apart. Not that it hadn't already.  
  
Determined, he set off, leaving the comfort of the estate behind in the well-lit night, and began his search for Himeno.  
  
Himeno, again with the horrid timing, appeared with her arms laden with gifts for her entire family. She kicked the gate open with one foot, smiling as it creaked, making a shrill noise that would normally agitate her, but not today. She then headed up the long path where a comfortable bed awaited her at the end; only moments after Hayate had rushed out to look for her.  
  
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Another warm morning sprung upon the modest city of Awayuki. Himeno was up bright and early, distributing the trinkets she had purchased for everyone. In her mind, she relived the events of her earlier day, spent mostly with Takako, shopping. She had also stopped by at Go's apartment, dropping off gifts for the three boys. They were all so overjoyed to see her, however, she ending up accidentally lingering much longer then her original intent. Go offered to walk her back, but she turned him down, wishing to be by herself under the brightly glittering stars. It was a beautiful night, as most summers go.  
  
Himeno stayed with Mawata most of the morning, assisting her with a still-life painting. It was slow, but enjoyable work and Mawata was soon content with her new paintbrushes Himeno had given her. (Expensive ones at that.)  
  
The long afternoon appeared again, and she took a book outside to curl up in the shade of a garden's tree.  
  
Mawata had loaned her the book, so she, of course, promised to read it. Halfway to the garden, Himeno heard running feet behind her. Turning, she saw with a shock that it was Hayate, tired and disheveled.  
  
"HIMENO!" he shouted. Within seconds he reached her, pulled her close to him, and hugged her tightly.  
  
The book Himeno held in her hand clattered to the pavement below, and, somewhere near, a bird began to sing its sweet melody.  
  
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No! That's not the end, I promise!! ^^;; So sorry it's so short and took me so long to get out… I wrote it in Civics class when we were supposed to be doing busy work. I finished it as fast as I could, and was about to work on my Inu Yasha fanfic when I realized I had updated that one yesterday, and it was this story that really needed a new chapter. So, here it is!! ^ ^;; There will be more… Not sure when… but soon, I promise!! ^^;; 


	5. Kokode Kokoro

Broken Thoughts  
  
Written by: Catrina Winner  
  
Disclaimer: ^ ^ No. I don't own it. Don't sue me. You may get an old piece of gum and a chewed up pencil if you'd like to try. Or you could just age your own gum and chew up your own pencil and leave me alone. ^ ^  
  
A few authors' notes: Many reviews! Thank you all! *drum roll* This is the last chapter!! Aren't you all so proud of me? I think this is the first fanfic I'll have ever finished. Wow. The title can be translated (roughly. very roughly. c'mon just work with me!) to "That is heart." ^ ^ Read on and review so I'll write the rest of my 16 chapter humor/romance Pretear fanfiction, which I don't have posted yet. Heh.  
  
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@* Chapter Five: Kokode Kokoro  
  
Hayate stepped back and stared into Himeno's eyes. His arms trailed down hers, then dropped to remain at his sides.  
  
"Himeno. I was so worried! Where. where have you been?" his eyes sparkled and he again enveloped her in his warm arms. Himeno stood very still for several seconds, then finally moved her head enough so she could view Hayate's face. His eyes were closed tightly, but she could see the light glimmer of a single tear there.  
  
"I was out." she said quietly, pulling away from him and turning her back. The light color of her hair caught the sun in magnificent ways, sending dazzling colors onto the pavement around them and making Hayate's eyes smart. She rustled around for a moment, then bent down and lifted her book into the air. Hayate watched these proceedings with a sad and heavy heart. The way Himeno had detached herself from his arms had been enough of a sign that she was trying as hard as possible to escape him.  
  
"Himeno. I." Hayate paused for a fraction of a second, then a bright- eyed Himeno turned to face him.  
  
"Here, Hayate, I bought you something too." She handed him a kendama, much like the one he had given her when she was training to become Princess Pretear. "I thought you might like one, as you did give your old one to me. And I." she trailed off at the sight in front of her.  
  
Hayate's eyes had widened immensely and he slowly reached out a hand to grasp the kendama in it. His fingers lightly brushed against hers and she retraced them quickly, still unsure of the boy before her. He stared at the gift for a long time before returning his gaze at her.  
  
"For. me.?" he asked haltingly. Himeno nodded, her hair bouncing up and down vigorously.  
  
"I thought you might like something. And I did get something for everyone else, so." she smiled. Hayate looked back at the kendama, then up at her. With one easy motion, he threw the gift into the bushes surrounding them and stepped closer to her.  
  
She stared in the direction that the kendama had flown in; unable to comprehend why Hayate had done such a thing. She had little time to make heads of tails of it, however, for the next thing she knew, she was in his arms again.  
  
"Himeno. I don't want any gifts from you," Hayate said slowly, "I only want one thing."  
  
Himeno looked at him questioningly, once again trying to pull back and away from him. But this time, Hayate refused to let her go, and instead bestowed a light kiss upon her lips.  
  
The pink-haired girl was stunned beyond words. Hayate jumped back a second later, completely releasing her, and stared off into the dirt off to the side, blushing furiously.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Those three words were all she had ever wanted to hear. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to flicker back towards his, which her looking at her nervously. She suddenly threw herself into his arms with a gleeful cheer and hugged him tightly. Hayate looked slightly surprised at having his confession being received in such a manner, but apparently he had no complaints.  
  
A bright flash of light erupted from behind the blushing couple as Himeno risked another light kiss. Both leapt apart from each other a scant instant too late. Sasame was standing boredly next to Kei, who was tossing a camera up and down in the air. Mannen, Shin, and Hajime dangled from the tree beside them, with Goh bringing up the rear, a wide smile on his face.  
  
"Took you long enough," Kei muttered and turned to leave. Hayate was glued to the same area, mortified that his confession had been caught on film. Himeno grinned, handing him the book, then stomped over to Sasame where she threatening lifted a fist.  
  
"If I don't receive copies of those pictures, someone will be in a lot of trouble!" then she grinned, dropped her fist, and returned to Hayate's side in amidst a tumult of laughter. Hayate looked down at her, smiled, and gently kissed her hair. Another flash of light blinded him and he snarled, stumbling blindly off in the direction he thought the cameraman was standing in, following the rowdy laughter that filled his heart.  
  
~Owari~  
  
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So sorry that this hasn't been posted earlier! I didn't realize I hadn't, and today I noticed it was sitting around in my fanfiction folder, and not on fanfiction.net or my website, and I quickly remedied the situation. Well, I do hope you enjoyed the ending to my first complete fanfiction, and please, please review! ^ ^ Any comments or criticisms are appreciated! If you're bored, you can always go check out my other fanfics and review those. ^.~ Anyway, goodbye for now!  
  
~Catrina Winner~ 


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